For the prosperity of Belgium, Antwerp is many times more important than Brussels, the capital.  While the country has an enormous amount of coal and many factories and other industries, these would be of little value without the imports which enter through Antwerp.

The city has about 360,000 inhabitants.  Although located fifty-three miles inland on the Scheldt River, it has natural advantages for harbor purposes which have been recognized since the seventh century.  Napoleon looked over the spot and started large harbor construction.

[Illustration:  ANTWERP AND ITS FORTIFICATIONS]

Ever since that time, according to popular belief, Antwerp has encouraged commerce.  Over eighty different steamboat lines use the docks and quays.  The passenger lines include boats to New York and Boston, New Orleans, London, Liverpool, Manchester, Grimsby, South American ports, Cuba, the Congo, East and South Africa and the far East.

In 1912 a total of 6,973 ocean-going vessels entered the port, and 41,000 other vessels.

Antwerp in 1870 ranked fifth in the ports of the world.  Today it is believed to be second or third.  Ten years ago the freight received from the inland was principally by the canals.  Approximately 2,300,000 tons were received by rail and 5,500,000 tons by canal boats.

This ratio has not been maintained, but the canal traffic now is much larger than the rail tonnage.  This gives an idea of the extensive use to which the European countries put their canals, and the reader may guess the value of the city at the head of the canal system to the Germans.

BLOODLESS CAPITULATION OF GHENT

Historic Ghent, with its quarter of a million inhabitants, was also surrendered peaceably to the Germans, and again the energy and initiative of an American, United States Vice-Consul J. A. Van Hee, had much to do with the avoidance of tragedy and destruction.

Learning that the advance guard of the German army was only a few miles outside the city, the burgomaster went out on the morning of September to parley with Gen. von Boehn—­in the hope of arranging for the German forces not to enter.  An agreement finally was reached whereby the Germans should go around Ghent on condition that all Belgian troops should evacuate the city, the civic guard be disarmed, their weapons surrendered, and the municipal authorities should supply the Germans with specified quantities of provisions and other supplies.

The burgomaster was not back an hour when a motor car driven by two armed German soldiers appeared in the streets.

At almost the same moment that the German car entered the city from the south a Belgian armored car, armed with a machine gun, with a crew of three men, entered from the east on a scouting expedition.

The two cars, both speeding, encountered each other at the head of the Rue Agneau, directly in front of the American consulate.  Vice-consul Van Hee, standing in the doorway, was an eyewitness to what followed.